Healthcare

πŸ’”πŸ‘₯πŸ’‰ Black veterans dey deny VA health benefits pass white veterans, new tori show

Di VA don start new plan to know why benefits dey diff for Blacks, women, and LGBTQ+ veterans and try level di playing field. πŸ”πŸ€πŸŒˆ

Black veterans wey ask di Department of Veterans Affairs for physical or mental health benefits dey less likely to collect am pass dia white counterparts, according to new tori wey VA compile. πŸ˜”βš–οΈπŸ’Ό

For fiscal year 2023, 84.8% of all Black veterans wey apply for physical or mental health benefits collect assistance from VA, compared to 89.4% of dia white counterparts wey apply. Di data wey VA get from fiscal year 2017 show say white veterans always get higher grant rate pass Black veterans every year. πŸ’ͺπŸ“‰πŸ“Š

On Thursday, VA start new Agency Equity Team to try find out why health and other benefits dey diff and if dem fit level di playing field for Blacks, women, and LGBTQ+ veterans. “At VA, our mission na to serve all Veterans, dia families, caregivers, and survivors as dem don serve our country. Dis new Agency Equity Team go help us deliver on top dat promise,” VA Secretary Denis McDonough talk for statement. “Di team first work go be identify any disparities for VA health care and benefits and comot dem.” πŸ€πŸ’ΌπŸ”

Di new tori about white versus Black veteran benefits confirm wetin NBC News report earlier dis year say Black veterans dey deny disability benefits for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) pass dia white counterparts, based on 2017 data. Di disparities show for series of reports by NBC News Now and NBC local stations wey dem call “American Vets: Benefits, Race, and Inequality.” πŸ“°πŸ“ŠπŸ’”

Di new data show say from FY 2017 to FY 2023, di trend reduce small, but higher percentage of Black vets still dey deny PTSD benefits pass white vets. πŸ˜žπŸ’”πŸ’Ό

VA press secretary Terrence Hayes call di creation of di Agency Equity Team “unique opportunity” to reconnect with veterans wey don file claims before and dem deny dem, and dem fit don lose trust for di system.

“Dem fit don lose trust with VA sake of those denials, but now we get unique opportunity to bring dem back into our health care system or make dem re-apply to collect di benefits wey dem don earn,” Hayes talk. πŸ€πŸ’”πŸ”„

Despite di fact say Black vets dey face tough time to collect assistance, di overall percentage of Black veterans wey dey collect benefits dey higher pass white vets sake of say Black veterans dey apply at higher rate. Almost half of di 3 million Black veterans wey dey alive today don apply for benefits, compared to less than one-third of di almost 15.5 million white veterans.

About 36.5% of all living Black veterans dey collect VA benefits, compared to 28.4% of white veterans.

“Studies show say Black veterans more likely to serve for combat, dem more likely to report PTSD and other health conditions, and dem more likely to use health care pass dia white counterparts. So all dis fit explain why di percentage of Black veterans wey apply and collect disability benefits from VA dey higher,” VA Under Secretary for Benefits Josh Jacobs explain.

“Di bottom line from dis data na say we still need do more work to fully understand the trend and dat na why we dey establish dis new Agency Equity Team,” Jacobs add.

Di aim of VA new equity team, wey dem officially call di I*DEA (inclusion, diversity, equity and access) Council, na to remove gaps for VA health care and benefits make sure say veterans wey historically no get enough support receive fair treatment.

At issue na di tax-free benefits wey VA dey give veterans to compensate for injuries, illnesses or disabilities wey happen during service or worsen based on their military service. πŸ’ΌπŸ’”πŸ’‰

Di council go also look into and address obstacles to hiring, promoting, and retaining employees. Laurine Carson, wey don work for VA for state and national level for more than three decades, go head up new Equity Assurance Office wey go focus on issues concerning di benefits system and report back to di I*DEA Council.

Di new initiative go go beyond racial disparities to examine challenges wey other groups face, including women, LGBTQ+, tribal communities, and veterans wey dey live for rural areas.

VA officials no fit provide data about differences between benefit grant rates for other underserved populations.

“We dey dig deep to understand wetin dey happen and so we dey do dat by looking at di data,” Jacobs talk. πŸ“ŠπŸ”πŸŒ

Hayes, di VA press secretary, talk say di I*DEA Council and di Equity Assurance Office go “peel dat onion back to determine how that works with Black versus white veterans, or LGBTQ+ veterans, or our women veteran population. The whole goal na to ensure say any veteran wey come to di department and dey file dia claim receive equal treatment across di board.”

Jacobs hope say dis initiative go encourage veterans from those underserved groups to re-apply for benefits.

“I want dem to know say we dey actively look into any disparities wey dey for VA and we dey go eliminate dem. And as we dey do dat, we go work to earn your trust or re-earn their trust day by day and we go do dat by being transparent, by getting you di healthcare and di benefits wey you deserve,” Jacobs talk. πŸ™ŒπŸ’ΌπŸ’ͺ


NOW IN ENGLISH

πŸ’”πŸ‘₯πŸ’‰ Black veterans are denied VA health benefits more often than white veterans, new data shows

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has initiated a new plan to address the disparities in health benefits for Black, women, and LGBTQ+ veterans and strive for equal treatment. πŸ”πŸ€πŸŒˆ

According to newly compiled data by the VA, Black veterans who request physical or mental health benefits from the department are less likely to receive them compared to their white counterparts. πŸ˜”βš–οΈπŸ’Ό

In fiscal year 2023, 84.8% of Black veterans who applied for physical or mental health benefits were granted assistance by the VA, while 89.4% of white veterans received the same benefits. The data from fiscal year 2017 onwards consistently shows that white veterans have a higher approval rate for benefits compared to Black veterans each year. πŸ’ͺπŸ“‰πŸ“Š

To address this issue, the VA has established a new Agency Equity Team. The team’s primary objective is to identify and rectify any disparities in health care and benefits provided by the VA, ensuring fairness for Black, women, and LGBTQ+ veterans. “At VA, our mission is to serve all Veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors as they have served our country. This new Agency Equity Team will help us deliver on that promise,” stated VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “The team’s initial focus will be on identifying disparities in VA health care and benefits and eliminating them.” πŸ€πŸ’ΌπŸ”

This recent data on the discrepancies between benefits received by Black and white veterans confirms the findings of a previous report by NBC News earlier this year. The report revealed that Black veterans were more likely to be denied disability benefits for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared to white veterans, based on data from 2017. NBC News conducted a series of reports titled “American Vets: Benefits, Race, and Inequality” that shed light on these disparities. πŸ“°πŸ“ŠπŸ’”

While there has been a slight decrease in the trend from FY 2017 to FY 2023, a higher percentage of Black veterans continue to be denied PTSD benefits compared to white veterans. πŸ˜žπŸ’”πŸ’Ό

The establishment of the Agency Equity Team is seen as a unique opportunity to reconnect with veterans who have previously filed claims and were denied, potentially leading to a loss of trust in the system. VA press secretary Terrence Hayes emphasized this opportunity, stating, “They may have lost trust with the VA due to those denials, but now we have a unique opportunity to bring them back into our health care system or encourage them to reapply for the benefits they have earned.” πŸ€πŸ’”πŸ”„

Despite facing greater challenges in obtaining assistance, the overall percentage of Black veterans receiving benefits is higher than that of white veterans, mainly due to the higher rate of application among Black veterans. Nearly half of the 3 million Black veterans alive today have applied for benefits, compared to less than one-third of the nearly 15.5 million white veterans.

Currently, 36.5% of all living Black veterans receive VA benefits, while 28.4% of white veterans do so.

Studies have shown that Black veterans are more likely to have served in combat, report PTSD and other health conditions, and utilize health care services more frequently than their white counterparts. These factors contribute to the higher percentage of Black veterans who apply for and receive disability benefits from the VA, explained VA Under Secretary for Benefits Josh Jacobs.

However, the data clearly indicates that there is still more work to be done in fully understanding and addressing these trends, which is why the new Agency Equity Team has been established, added Jacobs.

The primary goal of the VA’s Agency Equity Team, officially known as the I*DEA (inclusion, diversity, equity, and access) Council, is to eliminate gaps in health care and benefits provided by the VA and ensure that historically underserved veteran communities receive fair treatment.

The focus is primarily on the tax-free benefits provided by the VA to compensate veterans for injuries, illnesses, or disabilities that occurred or were aggravated during their military service. πŸ’ΌπŸ’”πŸ’‰

The Council will also examine and address barriers to hiring, promotion, and retention of employees. Laurine Carson, with over three decades of experience working for the VA at the state and national level, will head the new Equity Assurance Office. The office will specifically focus on issues related to the benefits system and report back to the I*DEA Council.

This new initiative goes beyond racial disparities and aims to address challenges faced by other underserved groups, including women, LGBTQ+ individuals, tribal communities, and veterans residing in rural areas.

While the VA officials were unable to provide specific data on benefit grant rates for other underserved populations, they are actively analyzing the data to gain a deeper understanding of the situation. πŸ“ŠπŸ”πŸŒ

Hayes, the VA press secretary, emphasized that the I*DEA Council and the Equity Assurance Office will thoroughly investigate disparities among Black and white veterans, LGBTQ+ veterans, and women veterans. The ultimate goal is to ensure that any veteran who approaches the department to file a claim receives equal treatment across the board.

Jacobs expressed hope that this initiative will encourage veterans from underserved groups to reapply for benefits, assuring them that the VA is actively addressing disparities and working to earn their trust. He stated, “I want them to know that we are actively looking into any disparities within the VA and we will eliminate them. As we do so, we will work to earn your trust or re-earn their trust day by day, providing transparent healthcare and the benefits they deserve.” πŸ™ŒπŸ’ΌπŸ’ͺ

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *